Towel cabinet



g- 23, 1932- H. s. MCCORMICK 1,873,139

TOWEL CABINET Filed Nov. 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l v 7 l a/H IN VEN TOR.

04 gf wg Aug. 23, 1932.

H. s. M CORMICK TOWEL CABINET 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z INVENTOR;

3 2,0 E6 ES ATTORNEY.

Aug. 23, 1932- H. s. MCCORMICK 1,873,139

TOWEL CABINET I 7 Filed Nov. 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 g5 6 INVENTOR. @AwWW] mmw Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED" STATES PATENTomen- 'HERBERT" smwonmrcx, or nLAM'n'nA, CALIFORNIA, Assrerivon' 'ro zrosnrnn. a BORROUGHS, o1 OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA TowEL CABINET.

- 1' Application filed Novemher 11, 19 129. Serial m, 406,294.

' This inventio n isfor a towel cabinetjpror yided with a feeding device which is adapted to consecutively present predetermined lengths of .a roll of v towelin'gi in'position for I use within an opning in the cabinet.

The main obj ect'of the" invention is to provide a device of the character outlined which will successively present clean portions "of'a roll of toweling in measured amount at; an opening in a cabinet, which opening is normallyclosed by a sliding door, the'towel being fed and, door opened simultaneously by depression of atreadle, he door'being closedon release ofthetreadle. v i Anotherobject of. the inventionis .to providea device of the character, outlined in which the used or soiled portion of the towel is concealed by automatic closure of the opening' through whichthe portion of .toweling is presented for use.

1 Aamher object of the invention ie to asr v r a line 8-8 of Fig. 7;.

videa device of the type outlined whereinthe soiled portion of the towel will be deposited in thelower portion of the cabinet, while simultaneously presenting a clean portion of toweling in registry withthe opening and'uncovering theopening, the operation being conducted by a. singlefdepression of a treadle. Other. objects and advantages of the inven- I tion will'beco'm'e' apparent as thefollowing description is read on the drawings fforming a part of,this'specification." j p v V y The invention consistsprimarilyof a' towel cabinet provided'with a rack for freely'supporting aroll 'of'towejling', which is threaded between and about a pluralityot rollers, presenting loop of toweling at an openingin the front of the cabinet, a roller disposed in the loop, means for feeding clean. portions of toweling in predeterminedlengths, a closure forthe opening, means for opening'the closure, means for retaining the loop roller in lower-most position until3tl1eclosure is substantially fully opened and at which point the retaining means is releasecland theiroller automatically moves to an. upper location and means 'for closing the opening, all of which operations are actuated by depression and-, eleaseof a treadle or lever. Y r Y r cabinet, showing the portion of towel exposed The invention is adequately illustrated accompanying drawings'in which 7 j Fig. '1 is a perspective view ofthetowel through the opening in'the front' wall;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional'elevation of the cabinet showing the towel feeding rolls and method of threading the towel and is taken on'the' median-line of'the cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the cabinet and the actuating mechanism, 7

taken adjafcentone side otthe cabinet; Fig. 4 is ,anenla'rged detailview of the loop roller guiding-and actuating means;

v Fig-"5 is a e aken ,0 line or 7 Fig.4; "I

Fig.v an enlarged detail "of the roller guidin and retaining means;

Fig. is a front elevation of the feed rollers I and actuating mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a vertlcal sectional view taken'on Fig. 9 is a' detailview partly in section of one of the operating pulleys. 4 Similar referen'cecharacters are usedfto indicate similar parts throughout the several views. a r N Acabinet 1 is formed with1si'des2 and 3,

and front 5' in, which an opening 26 is pro vided and which is normally closed by avertically'sliding door 47 at thelower end, and V bya'hinged door eat the upper end, door 47 being slidably mounted in grooves formed inthe' inner edges of the side panels' lO. V 1 A towel basket/6 is supported adjacent the top ofthe cabinet by cooperation of the ends 2 of the longitudinal top'edge members 64 with transverse cleats 7 fixed tosides 2 and 3, and

is adaptedto freely receive a roll of toweling 7 V 15, the end 65 of which "is threaded over the rearward member 64. g 1

The feeding mechanism consists of two pair of coacting rollers one of each pair being positively driven, and consist' of longitudinallycorrugated soft rubber covered rollers- 17 and '24, and plain rollers 18 and 23. Roll ers .18 and 24 are idle rollers while 17 and 23 o arepositively driven, all four rollers being .jrotatably mounted in a frame andbetween 7 la pair-of spaced plates'12and 13 forming one "side and the intermediate member of the frame. Slots 21 are provided in plates 12 and 13 in which the journals of rollers 18 and 24 arerotatable, and slidable radially relative to rollers 17 and 23, and are resiliently urged toward'these rollers by leaf springs 22 cooperatingwith the far side of the journals. "The journals of rollers 17 and 23 extend through and beyond plate 18 and have fixedly mounted on their outer ends sprockets 39' and 41 which are of equal size.; y

14 and intermediateplate 13, plates 12 and 14being flanged at top and bottom as indi-' cated at 69 and 70. The plates are secured.-

The frame 11 consists of side plates 12 and together in spaced relation by a plurality of rods 16 and 8, spacers 10 providingseparators between plates, 13 andf14. Rods 16are thus provided 7 p V ""The driving means for 'therollers consists 7 of sprockets 39am 41 fixed on the ournals shouldered at both ends to actlas spacers; between plates12 and 13 "rigid frameis of rollers 17:and 23, and a sprocket31which is rotatably mounted on a Yfixed shaft 28 which also acts as a spacer and tie betweenfl plates .13'and 14 and which is securedby the nuts 29; A chain 42 cooperates with the three sprockets 81, 39 and. 41 and drives these sprockets in the same direction, the driving sprocket 31; the pawl'being mounted on a quadruple pulley 34 in cooperative relationto' -the notch, as indicated inFig. 9.

Pulley3'4'is rotatably mounted onsliaft 28 and is providedwith two grooves forming .pulleys 37 and 4810f equal and large diam ear, and" two grooves forming pulleys 44 and pins 59 inalignment a s indicated at .74, Fig. i 7 .8. [Pulleys 44 and45 areoppositelyconnected' ment with connection 74.

are oppositely. secured in pull 37:; an 48 45of equal and small diameter, each section or pulley having fastening means, fora tape,

as indicated in Fig. 9, and which consistsof a recess19 formed inwardly trom the groove V and having atransverse pin 59 secured-therein, which coope'rateswith an eye formed at the end-of the tape. Pulleys 37 and48'have as indicated at 43 and 62 but in radial align? Tapes 66 and 71 being wound once aboutthe pulleys but in Y I opposite directions. Tapes 56 and 61 are se- 43: and '62 and woundonce about the pulleys cured in pulleys44 and. 45 at opposite points in the same direction. 6 y

The entire unit described is removably 'mo fi cdon angle rails 9 as shownyin'Fig. 7.

The door operating mechanism consists of tapes66 and 7l,'th-e 'op-posite ends of which are respectivelyconnected to thebottom and top of 'slldlng door 47 {as indicated at: 68am].

73, tape 66 being looped-and guided by an idler pulley 67 which is mounted' in a bracket 46 secured to side wall 3, and tape 71 is looped and guided by a pulley 72 mounted in a bracket 75 secured to the top of the cabinet. VAs the tapes are oppositely wound on the pulleys, rotation of the pulleys causes 00- incident retraction of one tapeand advance of theother. e The driving mechanism consists of 'tap'es 56 andg61 which areiseclired in pulleys 44 and 45 at 62 and 43, tape 56 having its opposite end connected at 57 to a treadle lever 51 and beingintermediately,guided by an idler pulley 58 mounted ina bracket 36 which is secured to side wall 3 of the cabinet. Tape 61hasfits other'endsecured to a tension spring 63 which has itsjopposite end secured a at 76 to the wallof'cabinet-lg Lever 51 forms a part of-treadle O which consists of, two 1 levers 51 transversely connected at theirouter ends by means ofa transverse. rod 54, the

inner endsibeing pivoted to sidewalls2 and 1 3Qas indicated at 52,. levers 51 extending through slots; 53 formed in the front panel .of the cabinet... o

. The towel 'tensioning device. consists of i a springgactuated roller 27 which is provided cured toside walls 2 and 3. Aifixed adjacent each end ofroller 27 are grooved pulleys 8 2 to which are secured cord se- 83 which are;

, at its opposite ends with the usual flatend spring actuated shaft 77, and fixed circular" journals which are slidably retained-iin grooves 78Lformed in cleats 79 which are se adapted to be woundabout the pulley as the'rollerv 27 moves upwa-rdlyythe opposite endTo'f the cords 83 being secured to panels surface-'ofshaft' 77 and-:th journal at the as indicated at55. Brackets'Sl aresecured togdoor 47' and cooperate with the 'upper' 1 opposite end of roller 27 Retaining means for. roller 27 consists of a' bar 86 which-is freely retained by -brackets-87 at the for- .ward edg e of'cleats 79 and a dapted toyer in ba'r86' and extending outwardly therefrom tical anditransverse movement. A

isadapted to cooperate with bracket 81 adja ce'nt the upper limit :of movement of door 147 andisfraisedthereby. *The lower end of bar 86 is provided'with an integralcam shoe 88 having acurved camfsurface 89" and a bottom s a-m shoe Operating thr h a slot 91 formed transversely t th groove 78 and intersecting it; A. pin94is adapted to. engage cam: surface 89' as bar 86 i 'out'of engagement with shaft77r "A spring 98 fixed at one end tobar 86 asat 80 has its opposite end-fixed to cleat 79 as at 30.

; The towel is manna and threaded as in. dicated, the roll 15 being placed in rack 6 the top rear edge 64 thence downwardly,

underneath. roller 18,1?thence up wardlyi be;

is raised, thereby forcingtheshoe surface 60' 'and'the end of thetowel first brought over 7 l tween rollers 18 and 17 as indicated at 20, over and about roll 17 thence downwardly as at 25, under and about roller 27, upwardly as at 49, over roller 24 and between rollers 24 and 23, thence downwardly to be deposited in the lower portion of the cabinet asindi- V rollers 17 and 23, which feeds the toweling between rollers 17 and 18, and,23 and 24, and beneath and about roller 27. Coincidently, door 47 is raised to its uppermost position,

.roller 27 being retained in its lowermost position by cam shoe 88, until the final upward movement of door 47 causes bracket 81 to engage pin 96, raising bar 86, causing shoe 88 to be moved back by cooperation of cam surface 89 with pin 94, releasing roller and permitting upward travel by cooperation with cords 83, leaving the loop oftoweling free for use and door 47 open.

As treadle 54 is released, spring 63 rotates pulleys 34 in a contra-clockwise direction, pawl 38 dragging backward over hub 32, door 47 closes, drawing roller 27 to its lowermost position by cooperation of brackets 81 with the roller journals until engaged by the bottom of cam shoe 8 8. 7

Having described an operative method of constructing and operating the device it will be understood that variations in construction and arrangement which are consistent with the appended claims, may be resorted to without detracting from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim is: a

1. A towel cabinet, in combination, a cabie net havinglan opening at the front thereof and a sliding door for said opening, afra-me removably supported in said cabinet, feed rollers journaled in said frame, pressure rollers cooperating with said feed rollers, driving means for driving said feed rollers in one direction, a tension roller mounted adiacent said door, means for positively retain- 7 ing said tension roller in lowermost position during initial opening movement of said door and releasing means for said retaining means cooperating 'with said door during the final opening movement thereof, and means cooperating with said driving means for opening and closing said door. 7

2. In combination, a cabinet, a sliding door mounted in the front of said cabinet, a support for a roll of toweling, treadle operated feeding means for said toweling, a tension roller mounted in grooves adjacent said door,

resiliently urged means for raising said roll er, said roller being depressed by brackets on said door when said door is being closed,

means for positively retaining said roller in lowermost positionwhile said door is being opened, the final movement of said door 00- operatlng with said retaining means for releasing said roller, and means cooperating with said driving means for opening and closing said door.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature. V

' HERBERT S. MOCORMICK, 

